Satellite data has revealed that a tiny spot in the U.S. Southwest produces the largest concentration of potent greenhouse gas methane seen over the nation.

Methane is roughly 80 times better than carbon dioxide at trapping short-term heat and hence a factor that's causing global warming.

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In a recent study done by NASA and the University of Michigan, a team of scientists mapped satellite data to search for the largest methane cloud that can be seen from space in the U.S.

The data was first noticed years ago amid satellite measurements gathered by the European Space Agency's SCIAMACHY instrument. A bright red patch or the hot spot over the Southwest persisted from 2002 to 2012 and it was so extreme scientists still waited several more years before examining the region in detail.

The ground observations verified the data collected by the instrument. The team then found that the region near the intersection of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, known as the Four Corners, emitted 0.59 million tons of methane every year since 2003 to 2009.

The region was also held responsible for almost 10 percent of all methane emissions from the natural gas sector in the country.

However, the methane emission should not be attributed to frackling, a technique is used to extract oil and gas from shell reservoir, as it predates the study period, according to the lead author Eric Kort of the University of Michigan.

Instead, he said the emission was due to the leaks in natural gas production and processing equipment in San Juan Basin at New Mexico, which is the largest source of natural gas from coal beds in the U.S.

Kort added that although the hot spot can be seen from space, it doesn't mean that there aren't other areas in the U.S. where more methane is emitted if it is dispersed by wind. 

Overall, methane emission account about 9 percent of all greenhouse gas emitted from human activity in the country. Methane pollutiion has decreased by nearly 11 percent since 1990, even after the energy crisis at 1970's where the U.S. goverment pushed for a greater reliance on natural gas. 

Tagsglobal warming, Southwest Hot Spot, Methane gas